Posts Categorized: Media Relations

Should Brands Bank on Big Events Like September 11th?

Posted by in Advertising, crisis management, Media Relations.

September 11th: Messages this year surrounding the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks flooded communications online, in print and on air, as to be expected. But with my observation of topics trending this weekend, I saw something more prevalent than ever before — an increasingly heated debate over the use of major events, such as the Twin Towers tragedy, to promote brands.

As public relations professionals, we are responsible for managing what our clients are saying about their brands and who is hearing what they say. Strategies for building buzz span across the PR pro spectrum, but how far can companies push the piggybacking off of a current event or hot topic?

Is Your Brand Human?

Posted by in Brand Strategy, Business Management, Marketing, Media Relations, Social Media.

B2B companies seem to take comfort in a common denial that their organizations are capable of achieving brand persona. In other words, a “brand” is something that the Apples and the Nikes of the world have, but Johnson & Thomas P.C. can’t expect to have—nor should they care about—a brand experience. In the B2B world, a great many purchasing decisions are made on a comfort level—we entrust our company’s endeavors to those with a proven track record, and we prefer to work with people and organizations that we “like.” That “like” factor is all about experience, and until we begin working with another company, we base it all on perception.

Why Caribou Coffee Gets Email Marketing

Posted by in Advertising, Brand Strategy, E-Blasts, Marketing, Media Relations, Web.

Let me start with this question: How many emails do you get on an average day? Remember, don’t just count your work account; include your personal one in there, too. Is your head spinning? Your email is most likely victim to a barrage of e-blasts, all along the lines of this company’s the best and that company has a new president, and don’t forget about that other company’s latest products!

At first, I tried to keep up. Ryan Cabrera has a newsletter? Oreos will email me new flavors? Of course I’ll sign up!

Key Takeaways From Spin Sucks Inbound Marketing Webinar

Posted by in Content, Marketing, Media Relations.

Content marketing online has been on my mind a lot lately. More specifically, how to get smarter on content marketing online has been on my mind. With as fast as our worlds are changing thanks to new information being shared and created online every day, PR pros need to continually strive to soak up new information related to how we can best help our clients share information online and connect with the people who matter most to their business.

Must Your Company Be Social?

Posted by in Brand Strategy, Business Management, Marketing, Media Relations, Social Media.

For most companies, there is an appropriate social strategy to explore, identify and define. But you shouldn’t assume it to be so. Our advice to companies is not to jump on Facebook because everyone is doing it. Do the work upfront to truly define your audiences, examine and communicate your overall business strategy, and from there define your marketing strategy, from which will flow your social strategy.

Adapt and Evolve – How Best to Handle Change

Posted by in Business Management, Media Relations, Other.

When a co-worker gets a new job, a friend moves out of the state, new relationships begin or old relationships end, your world can feel a little out of control. When the Dow plunges, companies re-structure, budgets change or crisis strikes, your client accounts can take the same overwhelming role. It’s times like these when I have to remind myself that change is the only constant.

It may seem simple, but I think everyone must harness an important skill to deal with the constant changes bound to occur, and, PR pros especially, must own it. So how do we handle so much change so fast? We must learn to adapt.